Farm tech: GPS, GIS play increasing role at local farm operations

The day is coming when farmers won’t have to spend time driving tractors to do field work.

Terry Katz katz@sturgisjournal.com

The day is coming when farmers won’t have to spend time driving tractors to do field work.

In some parts of the U.S., that day already has arrived.

Randy Bartholomew, integrated solutions manager at Fillmore Equipment on U.S. 131 in Three Rivers said more farmers are using GPS systems to keep track of every acre they plant.

Bartholomew collects data from GPS systems installed on tractors and prepares reports for farmers.
In the past, it was difficult for farmers to correlate production techniques and crop yields with land variability, he said.

Development and implementation of precision agriculture is made possible by combining the global positioning system and geographic information systems.

GPS allows farmers to micromanage their fields. They can work during low-visibility conditions such as rain, dust, fog and darkness. GPS applications are used for farm planning, field mapping, soil sampling, tractor guidance, crop scouting and variable-rate applications.

Farmers were once limited in their ability to develop the most effective soil- and plant- treatment strategies that to enhance production.

With GPS, farmers have the ability to be more precise with production techniques as they apply pesticide, herbicide and fertilizer.

Precision agriculture is changing the way farmers and agribusinesses view the land. Farmers have found these high-tech tools are more accurate, cost-effective and user-friendly.

David High of High Quality Farms in Cass County said he relies on GPS technology on a daily basis.

With 4,000 acres in field crops scattered in southwest Michigan, High said he can work more efficiently because there’s no wasted ground or seed.

“Basically, GPS tells me everything I need to know,” High said. “I can tell how many seeds were planted per acre, down to the kernel.”

High and Bartholomew work as a team.

High depends on Bartholomew to keep track of tractor data and provide reports he requires.
While technology is the future and High could not survive without it, he sees changes in the life of the farmer.

Gone are the days of spending hours in a tractor cab concentrating on planting straight rows of seed. Today, every turn of the tractor is precise.

High admits he sometimes gets nostalgiac for those days. But GPS is where the future lies, and it saves him a lot of time, he said.